


Wood and Stone

by SmolGoatAne



Category: My Time At Portia (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26444467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmolGoatAne/pseuds/SmolGoatAne
Summary: This is a one-shot with Dr. Xu and Aadit talking.It has game spoilers and some non-canon conclusions (including this dialogue itself) I took from my gameplay, so I'd advise to reading only if you're familiar with Aadit's story, don't mind spoilers and theories, or have played through the whole game.I'm not fluent in English so I'm assuming many mistakes were made, haha. Please feel free to point out anything that might be wrong or feels weird in my text.
Relationships: Aadit & Builder (My Time At Portia), Dr xu and Aadit
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Wood and Stone

Aadit lifted the chipped paint, exposing pale, old wood beneath color.

The small soldier figurine still looked vibrant, despite its age and the peeling paint.

He remembered the rain. 

They had found a small hall in the outer ruins. It must have been used as a dining room for the servants. He and his comrades were cold, hungry, and their wet uniforms weighted their bodies down, while the last warm bed they had been on was a memory from weeks ago. Since then, when able to sleep, they'd do it in during their short breaks, and with little room for comfort.

Lighting a fire had a risk of revealing them to the enemy, so they pressed on.

Rotten wood and cracked stonework covered the floor, and they found a spot to hide and wait for the Ethea battalion to pass.

He had three bullets left. Demi had patched a bullet wound hours before, but seemed in good shape for the moment. Edward held his axe tightly, the blade covered in brown, coagulated stains.

Samuel had been sick for the last few days, and took their last medicine to control the coughing. Sometimes he’d quietly cover his mouth and shiver, trying not to alert the soldiers outside.

Open spots from the roof left some light and rain inside, and it dripped over their exhausted visages, washing grime and blood. The dripping sound and the faint sunlight were all they had to mark the time.

Aadit came back from the memory briefly, the small soldier figure regaining shape and color in front of him. The uniform patterns seemed nothing like Duvos’, but the colors were the same: Blue and red. His fingertips turned white as he gripped the soldier.

Ethea guards stood nearby, behind a wall, and the Duvos squad briefly listened to their chat. Young exhausted voices, much like theirs, talking about dinner and retiring plans. _Where to settle, once the war was over? What would remain?_

Demi cast an understanding glance to Aadit. He nodded, limbs numb from sitting in that position for so long. Neither squad had the answer. The Etheans moved elsewhere, and the Duvos men remained in wait.

When the sun set and all they could feel were the cold, soaked clothes glued to their skin, Aadit noticed that the breathing sound from Samuel’s corner had stopped. He wouldn’t cough anymore, as well.

The figurine cracked. It wasn’t his intention to break the relic, and he instinctively turned around to grab a brush and some glue.

His arm stopped inches from hitting Dr. Xu, who sat nearby. 

He forgot they were at Xu’s home. 

Aadit had brought some toy relics and brushes to repair them while they talked. He had asked for help in controlling his nightmares, and Xu suggested an experimental talking therapy. Supposedly it was something used to treat the _mind and body_. In any case, he welcomed the chat, and Xu’s ethics seemed strong enough to conceal from others everything they had been discussing in the last few months.

Xu’s gaze moved from the arm, to the soldier fragments on the ground, to Aadit’s face.

“I’m so sorry. I guess I’m a bit more absent-minded today, I almost hit you. Could you pass me that glue?” 

Xu slowly passed him the glue, with his usual inquisitive glance subtly scanning every inch of Aadit’s gestures.

“You had a memory there, right? How are you feeling? Did the grounding technique work?”

He was supposed to hold something when having those memories, and the object would help him focus on the present moment again. It could be a keychain, talisman or a toy figure, but from that experience he would have to try with something stronger next time. 

“Portia knows I’m from the Duvos border, but not that I… served in their military.”

“Not an unusual sight here in the south. Refugees come in many shapes, and it is also not unusual for anyone who experiences a war to have the symptoms you are showing.”

“Gale says everyone deserves a second chance. But if they really knew about me, “ Addit said, putting the glue and wooden figure away, “they’d hate me.”

“They _who_? Gale? The whole Portia?”

Aadit let out a long breath, straightening his posture, shoulders tensing. He held the figure again, applying glue into its broken arm. Then he held the broken pieces together while scanning his satchel for something else, using his free hand.

“Paulie, Mars and his family, for a start.”

Dr. Xu nodded, giving space for Addit to continue. Paulie and Mars truly had stronger anti-Duvos posture. Who knows what they and their loved ones had been through in the north. 

Xu himself had a hunch about Aadit being Duvos military as soon as he met the man. The scars, build and strength obviously clashed with his pacifist persona, and the lengths he would go to avoid talking about his past life seemed to indicate he wasn't an Alliance soldier after all. Portia didn’t seem as oblivious to these traits as Aadit was giving them credit for.

A few months prior, Aadit had finally told him about having served in the military. The reason he wore long-sleeved clothing, even in the summer, was so the townsfolk wouldn’t see his old bullet and slash wounds. Over time he grew used to the extra cover and happy that it at least offered some additional sun protection, despite making him end his days drenched in sweat.

“But even Dawa, Gale and _you_ would hate me. Heck, doc,” Aadit continued, slouching and shaking his head, defeated, “The new builder. I feel like she… Knows. You’re friends with her. Is there any chance you let it out?”

“Ah. No, Aadit. I’m friends with her _and_ friends with you. And not only that, I swore an oath. I keep my patient’s information confidential.”

Aadit apologised, waving a hand. He grabbed a piece of fine sandpaper and rubbed it against the figure, removing excess glue, wood plaster and some of the paint.

“But why this impression about her? Has she mistreated you?”

“On the contrary. We have been spending more time together. I think she wants to be closer.”

Dr. Xu noticed his friend’s phrases were getting shorter, with longer intervals between them. This was the signal that their session was coming to an end. Aadit probably had enough new conceptions to reflect on until their next meeting.

As for the builder, they had come from Barnarock. Despite Barnarock being distant from the Ethea and Duvos conflict, its lands were harsh, and she sometimes alluded to being a war refugee as well. Perhaps she lived elsewhere before going to Barnarock? Aadit didn’t seem to know, and Dr. Xu kept the thought to himself.

“She brings me a marble amulet or carving each week. I’m fond of these.”

“What if you use one of these for the grounding technique?”

“They’re sturdier, it might work.”

He thanked Dr. Xu, getting up from his chair and quickly scanning the small figurine again before putting it inside a protective case. The smooth surface seemed ready for a new layer of paint.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> I've become super addicted to Portia in a short span of days and our pacifist boy Aadit had made me super curious about how much devs would reveal from his personality and past.
> 
> In my spare time I ended up painting him a few times, and once the image caption got too big I brought it to AO3 as a one-shot lol.
> 
> I can't promise getting back to it in the future, but I'd love to write more and perhaps expand this story some day.
> 
> For more art, here is my MTAP tag: https://anebarone.tumblr.com/tagged/my-time-at-portia
> 
> Feel free to check my other art profiles as well, and ugh let me know about your Portia experience and theories!!! ♥  
> https://www.instagram.com/anebarone/  
> https://twitter.com/anebarone


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